Reduce poverty to cut population growth
Nov 16, 2009
PLANNING state minister Prof Ephrahim Kamuntu has said that Uganda’s population growth, among the highest in the world, can be controlled by addressing infant mortality, girl-child education and boost household incomes.
PLANNING state minister Prof Ephrahim Kamuntu has said that Uganda’s population growth, among the highest in the world, can be controlled by addressing infant mortality, girl-child education and boost household incomes.
He was speaking at a national dialogue on the International Conference on Population and Development.
The minister is right to list girl child education, because this delays the birth of the first child, which on average in Uganda is now 17.7 years an improvement from 15 years about a decade ago.
Kamuntu was also right to point out that improved infant mortality figures will help reduce growth rates.
Parents, unsure that their kids will live beyond childhood, give birth to many children to compensate for those children who might die. Low infant mortality rates will take away the risk and, therefore, lower the motivation for many children.
But our policy makers should focus on raising household incomes and eradicating poverty as a sure fire method of population growth reduction.
In east Asia and the Western world this has been shown to be the single biggest contributor to lowering population growth.
In Africa’s case increased incomes will automatically mean families will not have to pull their daughters out of school early as a source of labour on the farm or as a source of income through bride price.
In addition with higher incomes families will be able to afford better health care therefore reducing the risk of infant mortality as well as increase access to contraception. But we know that the most effective contraception is abstinence.
With higher income, families engaged in economic activity will have less time to engage in sex in addition to have more sources of recreation in addition to sex.
He was speaking at a national dialogue on the International Conference on Population and Development.
The minister is right to list girl child education, because this delays the birth of the first child, which on average in Uganda is now 17.7 years an improvement from 15 years about a decade ago.
Kamuntu was also right to point out that improved infant mortality figures will help reduce growth rates.
Parents, unsure that their kids will live beyond childhood, give birth to many children to compensate for those children who might die. Low infant mortality rates will take away the risk and, therefore, lower the motivation for many children.
But our policy makers should focus on raising household incomes and eradicating poverty as a sure fire method of population growth reduction.
In east Asia and the Western world this has been shown to be the single biggest contributor to lowering population growth.
In Africa’s case increased incomes will automatically mean families will not have to pull their daughters out of school early as a source of labour on the farm or as a source of income through bride price.
In addition with higher incomes families will be able to afford better health care therefore reducing the risk of infant mortality as well as increase access to contraception. But we know that the most effective contraception is abstinence.
With higher income, families engaged in economic activity will have less time to engage in sex in addition to have more sources of recreation in addition to sex.